Summary Record of Proceedings of National Water Resources ...

STORAGE CAPACITYAs I just mentioned, we have completed the Salauli Irrigation Project, which is amajor irrigation project in all respects. The other major irrigation project, the interstateTillari irrigation Project is now in an advanced stage. To put the project on a fast trackfor completion by the set date, Goa has created the Goa Tillari Irrigation developmentCorporation. The Corporation - has mobilized financial resources for the project throughmarket borrowings. The project is planned for completion by 2013. At present, no othermajor or medium projects are under Goa's consideration.INTERLINKING OF RIVERSOn our own initiative we have completed two schemes for trans-basin transfer ofwater by interlinking rivers to transfer water from a water-surplus basin to a water-shortbasin. We can therefore claim that we have shown initiative in this regard without anyprompting from the NWRC. The subject of interlinking of rivers, especially interstaterivers is one issue on which Goa has consistently called for caution and circumspection.We have reiterated our stand before almost all the forums on water resources. As Ialluded to in my opening remarks, this is an issue on which we strongly desire that anyproposed policy should take note of the vulnerabilities of states like Goa and hedge theproposed policy accordingly. If necessary, special exceptions should be made in thecase of sates placed similarly like Goa. I therefore wish to place on record our followingviews on the subject of interlinking of rivers. I am sure the Council will give them theserious consideration they no doubt merit from our perspective.(a)Constitution of River Basin Organizations.Goa believes that River Basin Organizations (RBOs) cannot be effectivemechanisms in the resolution of disputes between basin States. It is Goa's settledconviction that with unfettered powers with no accountability to the StateLegislatures, far from paving the way for resolving disputes between the basinStates, RBOs will only further aggravate the disputes. Existing constitutionalprovisions for resolving such disputes through negotiations between the basin Statesfailing which by adjudication under the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956with provisions in the decisions of the Tribunals for self-executing mechanisms havestood the test of time. There is therefore no justification for replacing such soundarrangements with organizations of un-proven efficacy such as the RBOS.(b)lnter-basin transfer of waterGoa has strong objections against the policy of inter-basin transfer of water thatdoes not take into account the long term in-basin needs of the state from whichoutside the basin diversions are proposed. Adequate and sufficient, I should saygenerous, provisions should be made for all the in-basin water uses such asirrigation, domestic and industrial use, navigation, salinity control, environmentalmanagement, etc. before any plans for outside the basin transfers could be40